Blue Cheese Potato Salad With Bacon

The tart pungent flavor and creamy texture of blue cheese makes a wonderful partner for potatoes, sour cream, green onions and bacon. This blue cheese potato salad with bacon is pot luck picnic perfect and a great side for a juicy grilled steak.

This Summer side dish is delicious with this Buffalo Burger Recipe with Smoky BBQ Sauce, or Grilled Flank Steak with Charred Caramelized Sweet Corn, or even our Best Grilled Chicken.

Blue cheese potato salad in a blue ceramic bowl topped with sliced hard boiled eggs and garnished with parsley

This post was first published April of 2015 and updated June, 2021 adding step by step instructions.

Spring has sprung and that means dusting off the grill for a steak, burgers and grilled chicken.

And one thing that’s fun about grilling is the opportunity to take a step out of that box and try new BBQ side dishes. Being very proud of my original potato salad recipe, this is a big step, and a delicious one at that.

Who can argue with potatoes, bacon, sour cream and blue cheese, It’s a far cry from my mayonnaise, celery and mustard version, but will make it’s way into my permanent data base and on my table many times this Summer.

And if you’ve been looking, this is a recipe for potato salad with no mayo.

This Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon has quickly become one of our favorite Summer side dishes. Bacon and blue cheese pair wonderfully with potatoes and onions and sour cream, the rest is history.

Let’s take a look.

Ingredients You’ll Need

ingredients to make blue cheese potato salad

Blue Cheese, Purchasing a wedge of blue cheese is preferable for quality. Blue cheese is very easy to crumble with your hands.
Potatoes, Yukon Gold or Russet Potatoes work well for potato salads and even small red potatoes are a treat for this recipe.
Sour Cream, This potato salad with no mayo uses sour cream instead, which really changes up the flavor profile from the classic.
Hard Boiled Eggs, Three hard boiled eggs, either chopped or sliced.
Milk, Milk is used to thin the consistency.
Green Onions, Three green onions, sliced, white and some green parts.
Bacon: Cooked and crumbled.

Ingredients Swaps and Substitutions

Onions: If you don’t have green onions, use a mild sweet onion and better yet, a super sweet Vidalia onion. Just chop the onion into small pieces.
Milk: Swap that milk with a couple of tablespoons of starchy potato water before you’ve drained it from the cooked potatoes. It’s liquid gold in keeping the potato salad nice and creamy.
Sour Cream: I like to use full fat sour cream for optimum flavor. Feel free to use reduced fat sour cream in its place.

Step by Step, How To

potatoes cut in cubes in a le creuset dutch oven covered with water

Step 1: Simmer the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into large bite sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Liberally salt and set on a burner over medium heat. Gently bring the potatoes to a simmer and cook until just getting tender. Don’t boil, or over cook or the potatoes will become mushy. Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink. (Save a bit of that starchy water to add to the potato salad)

Cooked potatoes, onions, bacon and blue cheese in a large silver bowl.

Step 2: Place the hot potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the blue cheese, sliced onions, sour cream, milk (or starchy potato water, or both) and cooked bacon bits.

mixing ingredients together in a mixing bowl for potato salad with bacon

Step 3: Using a large spatula, gently blend the ingredients together. Don’t over mix. It may cause the potatoes to break apart. Adjust seasonings and add a little more milk or starchy water if necessary.

Tips and FAQ’s

Can I Leave The Potato Skins On?

No matter what the potato I’m using to make potato salad. I always cook the potatoes with skin on. If using russet potatoes, which have a tough skin, once the potatoes have cooled enough, I remove the skin before proceeding with the recipe. If using Yukon Gold potatoes, I generally will leave the skin on after boiling. The skins are tender enough that they won’t distract from the flavor and texture of the potato salad.

What Kind Of Blue Cheese Is Best For This Recipe

I always reach for Maytag Blue Cheese. I have received no incentive to mention this name brand, it’s simply the brand I prefer. It’s an American made blue cheese produced in Iowa. A cow’s milk cheese that is creamy and mild in flavor and easy to find. Blue cheese is easy to crumble. Grab a wedge rather than pre-crumbled blue cheese in a plastic container. The product will be creamier and more flavorful.

How Long Will Potato Salad Last In The Refrigerator?

Cover and keep in the refrigerator for up to 5 days. It stores beautifully and is one of those recipes that tastes better the next day.

Tips For Success

How To tell when potatoes are “just right done” insert a fork or sharp knife into a potato. If the potato feels tender and the utensil releases easily, they’re done.

Recipe For Blue Cheese Potato Salad With Bacon

Bacon Blue Cheese Potato Salad in a blue ceramic bowl topped with sliced hard boiled eggs

I hope you give this Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon recipe a try. And if you do, please come back and let me know how you liked it by leaving a comment below and give the recipe a star rating. Your feedback is valuable to me for developing future recipes.

And if you have a favorite gourmet potato salad recipe, let me know, I’d love to give it a try.

More Popular Recipes Using Blue Cheese

Silver Spur Ranch Blue Cheese Hamburger
Blue Cheese Potatoes Dauphinoise
Mango and Avocado Salad with Blue Cheese
Black and Blue Burgers

Looking for more side dish recipes? Don’t miss my side dish category. You’ll find lots of great recipes including the most popular on my site for Broccoli Cheez Whiz Casserole.

And if you’re looking for even more side dishes for picnic style gatherings, don’t miss this line-up of Summer cook-out sides. I’m positive you’ll find something you love.

Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon

Lea Ann Brown

The flavors of blue cheese and bacon flavor this potato salad that's great for any pot luck, back yard BBQ or picnic. A creamy and delicious potato side dish that will wow your crowd. Give this one a try, it's creamy, tart and perfect.

5 from 4 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 20

Cook Time 30

Total Time 35

Course Side Dish

Cuisine American

Servings 8

Calories 179 kcal

Ingredients

2 ½ pounds Potatoes Yukon gold or russet
1 cup sour cream
2 Tablespoons milk or reserved starchy water that the potatoes were cooked in
salt and pepper
3 green onions sliced
3 eggs hard cooked and chopped or sliced
4 ounces blue cheese
4 slices bacon cooked and crumbled

Instructions

Simmer the potatoes. Cut the potatoes into large bite sized pieces. Place the potatoes in a large pot and cover with cold water. Liberally salt the potatoes and set on a burner over medium heat. Gently bring the potatoes to a simmer and cook until just getting tender. Don't boil, or over cook or the potatoes will become mushy. To tell when they're "just right done" insert a fork or sharp knife into a potato. If the potato feels tender and the utensil releases easily, they're done. Drain the potatoes in a colander in the sink. (Save a bit of that starchy water to add to the potato salad)
Place the hot potatoes in a large mixing bowl. Add the blue cheese, sliced onions, sour cream, milk (or starchy potato water, or both) and cooked bacon bits.
Using a large spatula, gently blend the ingredients together. Don't over mix. It may cause the potatoes to break apart. Adjust seasonings.
Serve garnished with sliced or chopped hard boiled eggs. Add some chopped parsley for some color.

Notes

If the potato salad seems too thick, add more milk or starchy potato water to thin the consistency.

Keyword bacon, Blue Cheese, green onions, sour cream

Blue Cheese Potato Salad with Bacon … It’s What’s For A Summer Side Dish